TORONTO — If you’re seeking clues about
why FC Dallas had to settle for a 2-2 draw Saturday against Toronto FC, you
could blame the weather: 40 degrees with stiff crosswinds.

Or you could pinpoint the pitch, which FC Dallas coach
Schellas Hyndman says is lumpier than it appears, leaving newcomers clueless
about its intricacies.

But Hyndman singled out a moment in the 45th minute. Dallas midfielder Michel
sent a blistering cross into the box, striking unsuspecting teammate George
John in the side of the head and knocking him from the game with what coaches
feared was a concussion.

When rookie London Woodberry replaced John, Dallas was
protecting a 1-0 lead, heading toward a second goal and looking at extending
its Western Conference lead with a fourth straight victory.

Instead, without John’s steadying presence, the club’s
central defense struggled in the game’s final half hour, conceding two goals
and squandering a chance to earn three points. FCD was looking for its fourth
shutout in six games.

“When we lost [John] … that was the biggest adjustment
because we had to put a rookie in that hasn’t played,” Hyndman said. “They came
forward … and had other big, strong boys fighting. George John is usually one
of the boys that is courageous and does well.”

The tie left Dallas
with 13 points (4-1-1), three points ahead of second-place Chivas, which is
idle this weekend.

But in the first half, FCD appeared set to extend its lead
even further.

After two near misses, Dallas
scored in the 34th minute, when Michel lined up from 35 yards out and lashed a
curving free kick toward a crowded Toronto
box. FCD forward Kenny Cooper dived to head it, as did Toronto defender Richard Eckersley, who
shadowed Cooper all game.

But the taller Cooper connected first, nodding the ball
back to midfielder Andrew Jacobson, who blasted it into the upper left corner
to the goal.

In the 59th minute Dallas
extended its lead when midfielder Jackson Goncalves fed Panamanian striker Blas
Perez, who beat Toronto
keeper Joe Bendik for his second goal of the season.

Dallas held the lead for 25 minutes
before Toronto
struck back, twice — the first goals FCD had allowed in 272 minutes.

In the 85th minute, striker Justin Braun leapt to head the
ball past FCD goalkeeper Raul Fernandez. And five minutes later, defender Darel
Russell collected a long diagonal pass on the right wing, then blasted the ball
into upper left corner of the goal from 30 yards out.

The goal tied the game and cemented a rare comeback for a
club accustomed to late collapses.

Last week, Toronto (1-2-2) led the Los Angeles Galaxy deep
into the second half before giving up a pair of goals — including one in added
time — in a game that ended 2-2.

“They’re a better team than they seem to be,” Hyndman said
of Toronto. “They were working for each other. They had a plan. I don’t think
last year’s team would have come back after being down 2-0.”